Although fatty alcohols, partial glycerides, or mixtures thereof have been primarily used in the production of cosmetic or pharmaceutical emulsions, these consistency-enhancing agents have not been entirely satisfactory. In emulsions based upon fatty alcohols, there is an excessive viscosity rise during storage, and the emulsions have a mostly non-homogeneous structure. Other disadvantages are that the emulsions turn white when rubbed on the skin and that they cause an unpleasant skin sensation.
With regard to emulsions based upon partial glycerides, a great viscosity drop during storage at room temperature has been noticed. In addition, it has been observed that a gel phase forms during preparation of the emulsions. Furthermore, relatively large amounts, from about 15 to 16% by weight, based upon the weight of the total preparation, were required. To avoid these disadvantages, emulsions formed from combinations of fatty alcohols and partial glycerides were explored. However, these emulsions did not exhibit fully satisfactory results either.